Page 281 - Week 01 - Thursday, 14 February 1991
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MR SPEAKER: Thank you for that warning, Attorney-General. Mr Berry, please heed that advice.
MR BERRY: I disagree most strongly with what Mr Collaery has said. I was making no comment about the evidence that is before the inquiry. I was commenting on a press release from Mr John Howard, the Liberal member for Bennelong, who went on to say:
Builders and tradesmen privately are accusing the BWIU of behaviour at least as bad as that which earned the BLF and several of its state branches deregistration nearly five years ago.
There is no supporting evidence for that. It is - - -
Mr Jensen: On a point of order: Once again, Mr Berry is seeking to discuss evidence that is before a royal commission and make assumptions as to the basis of evidence that is currently before a royal commission.
MR SPEAKER: If Mr Berry is in fact reading from a press release, I believe that that is acceptable. Please proceed, Mr Berry.
Mr Kaine: From whom?
MR BERRY: I have said it about three times. You just have to listen. It is from John Howard MP, the Liberal member for Bennelong. Do you remember that fellow? Boy blunder. This was in Sydney on 12 August 1990. Let us not get too tetchy about the issue. I know that your conscience might be bothering you, but let us not interrupt debate just because the illustrious Mr Howard is being talked about in this place. The fact of the matter is that he made accusations about building unions without supporting them in his press release. I understand that the people opposite might be sensitive about that, but that is the way it is.
MR SPEAKER: Order! On behalf of the Assembly I would like to welcome members of the New South Wales State Parliament to our chamber.
MR BERRY: So, we have a situation where the ACT Government is clearly copycatting the building industry inquiry in New South Wales which has been variously described as a union-bashing exercise. I think the most interesting point about the introduction of this legislation into this place is the lack of any history or supporting argument that there has been a need for a change in the legislation in the ACT other than to extend the New South Wales royal commission into the building industry into the ACT.
Of course, that was reported in the Canberra Times of 12 August, where it said that the ACT would join the New South Wales royal commission into the building industry as
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